Last week Ghazala Hashmi became the first Muslim woman elected to Virginia’s state Senate. As a former literature professor and community college administrator, she campaigned on issues such as education, gun control and health care. The New York Times called the achievement, “a milestone that comes amid a wave of Muslims running for elected office across the country and increased visibility for Muslim women in politics.”
Ms. Hashmi came to the United States from India as a young child. “Muslims in America are just like any other American,” Ms. Hashmi remarked in a New York Times interview. “I have been a troop leader for Girl Scouts. I have been active in my daughters’ school and volunteer work. All the things that another suburban mom might be doing, I’ve been doing.”
According to a report conducted by CAIR, more than 300 Muslim candidates, including more than 100 women, have run for elected office nationwide in the last three years. Mohammed Missouri, the executive director of Jetpac, said the surge in Muslim candidates is partly a response to rising Islamophobia in the United States including White House policies. Ms. Hasmi commented that the Muslim Ban had spurred her into action. “I could continue to be quiet and accept things,” she said. “Or I really had to become much more visible.”
